Beijing all set for winter thrills
China DailyA series of international winter sports events will, again, bring Beijing's Olympic venues to life with sledders, skaters, skiers and snowboarders vying for World Cup titles and Olympic ranking points. "Beijing's rich legacy in facilities and organizational expertise from the 2022 Winter Olympics has made the city more than competent to continue playing host to these international events," said Ge Jun, a deputy head of the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau. The speed skating World Cup's Beijing leg, this season's second stop following this weekend's opener in Japan, will build on Team China's successful campaign at the Four Continents Championships earlier this month, offering the host's speedsters a valuable test on home ice for their 2026 Olympics preparation. Led by men's 500m defending Olympic champion Gao Tingyu and world champion Ning Zhongyan, a specialist in 1,000m and 1,500m, the Chinese squad will field 34 skaters to compete against international heavyweights, such as the Netherlands and Canada, at the National Speed Skating Oval, aka the "Ice Ribbon", for the World Cup showdown.